Infinite Aspirations:
A Prayer for the Long Life of Glorious Garchen
In the Form of a Biographical Supplication

To the gracious Root Guru, Awareness Holder, and Lord of Refuge,
Garchen Triptrul Rinpoché, we pay homage and make this praise!

The one known in the Holy Land (India) as Āryadeva
Emanated into the Gar clan of Eastern Tibet (Do-Kham) as Chödingpa,
The heart-son of Jigten Gönpo (“The Protector of the World”).
May the life of Glorious Garchen remain steadfast for a hundred aeons!

In this age of strife when the Victor's teachings face hardship,
Through his indestructible conduct, discipline, and vows,
He takes upon himself the heavy responsibility
Of the non-sectarian (Rimé) teachings.
May Garchen, the Sun of the Teachings, live long!

When sublime spiritual friends are relied upon,
One's faults are exhausted and
One's qualities increase like the waxing moon.
Holding sublime spiritual friends
Even more dear than one's own body
Is the Bodhisatvas' practice.

To Bodhisatvas who desire the pleasures of virtue,
All those who do harm are like a precious treasure.
Therefore, cultivating patience devoid of hostility
Is the Bodhisatvas' practice.

Homage to you, Thousand-Armed Chenrezik,
Who ceaselessly turns the Wheels of Prayer and Dharma
For the Benefit of All Beings throughout all space and time,
Not one left behind!

You are constantly in union with Noble Lady Tārā,
Inseparable from her in essence.
Your compassionate actions manifest
Manifold female buddhas wherever you go!

Day and night, your fortunate disciples think of no one but you.
Kindest root lama, resting on the crown of our heads,
Please merge your mind with our hearts so that we realize
That you are none other than Guru Rinpoché in person!

Incomparable teacher of the Union of Mahamudra & Dzogchen,
Glorious guide and supreme spiritual father of sentient beings,
Hold us close in your great compassion!
Ceaselessly rain your Shower of Blessings down upon us!

Powerful Avalokita, protector in these degenerate times,
You gladly take on hellish suffering in order to prevent the hordes of enemies
From engaging in non-virtuous deeds.
Though they appear as demons, imprisoning and torturing you for decades,
You know them to be suffering from the true enemies of the five poisons.
Never losing sight of this with your wisdom eye,
You remain loving, kind, compassionate, and firm in your vows
To never abandon even a single sentient being.
May all your spiritual children fully realize the Four Immeasurables
And don the same vajra armor of patience and compassion!

Just as the Sun impartially shines its warm rays upon one and all,
And likewise the Moon radiates cooling light without any bias whatsoever,
You cause all who encounter you to reflect upon
The nature of mind and the root samaya of love.
Following in your footsteps, may we all realize the innate buddha-nature within
And fully manifest as Buddhas here and now!

Just as a Blacksmith forges raw iron into steel,
Through intense difficulties you test the mettle of your disciples,
Ensuring that their faith and devotion are irreversible and of the highest quality.
Grant your blessings so that uncontrived, sincere devotion is born within us!
Fuel your wisdom with our afflictive emotions!
Stoke the flames of Tummo with our fervent desire to be adequate vessels!
Temper our minds by training us to exchange self for others!
Shape us so that we may be of greatest benefit to beings!
Forge us into vajra swords, blazing with your primordial wisdom fire!

Countless kalpas ago you were the youngest son of the Buddha Light of the Nāgas,
Unwilling to forsake worldly life for fear of abandoning sentient beings.
Your father, Nāgārjuna Ratnashri, led you onto the path of ultimate benefit and happiness,
Causing precious bodhichitta to be born in your mind-stream
And giving rise to your aspiration to become the last and greatest Buddha
Of this Fortunate Aeon: Infinite Aspirations (Möpa T’hayé).
Emulating you, may we shelter all beings
With the precious parasol of the Four Immeasurables!
May precious bodhichitta arise in the minds of all beings
Never declining, but ever increasing!
May all beings become irreversible bodhisatvas!
May we, your students, serve as your spiritual heirs and chief bodhisatvas
From now until Samsāra is emptied to its depths!

As Āryadeva, you were the conduit of immeasurable blessings
From Ārya Tārā and Mañjushrī Lion's Speech.
Through the confluence of their activities, you exemplified the Bodhisatvayana
And pointed beings to the paths and bhūmis.
From that greatest of sources—the flawless, transcendent wellspring of Prajñāpāramitā—
The Sole Father, Sacred Buddha, brought the Pacification of Suffering (Shijé)
To the Roof of the World (Tibet).
In doing so, the fortunate people of Tingri near Chakrasamvara's immaculate mandala
Were witness to the birth of the Severance of Self-Clinging (Chöd),
Supreme among methods and swiftest Path to Liberation.
May that stainless combination of Sūtra & Tantra,
The practice lineages of P'hachik Dampa Sanggye and Machik Labkyi Drölma
Long remain to dispel the sufferings of the world!

As the Minister Gar Tongtsen, you helped bring the Holy Jowo
And Chinese Dharma Wheel to Tibet in the hands of Ārya Tārā,
Thus firmly planting the victory banner in the heart of the Land of Snows.
May the Jokhang and Gar Monastery remain forever in the world
As sources of great benefit and joy for all the peoples and nations of the Earth!
May the balm that spontaneously emanates from the Chökhor Gyanakma
Soothe the maladies and minds of all beings who receive this blessing!

As Padmasambhava’s disciple, Chokro Lui Gyaltsen—the bodhisatva incarnate—
You established the Vinaya in Tibet through your vital assistance,
Translated alongside Vimalamitra, Jñanagarbha, Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi,
And, having gained realization at Chuwori, transcribed and concealed terma.
May we come to translate the nectar of your speech into all languages,
Continuously uphold the vows of Individual Liberation, Bodhisatva Conduct, and Samaya,
And realize the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities are complete and present
Within the mandala of our own bodies so that we may act accordingly!

As Jetsün Mila's heart-son, Rechungpa, you received from Tibet's greatest of yogis
The precious nectar of that saint's songs of realization.
Whosoever follows you cannot help but hear the delightful laughter of Shepa Dorjé,
Who, through diligence and perseverance, fully awakened in a single lifetime.
May we, your disciples, reinvigorate the lay tradition of cotton-clad yogis!
May we all meet Milarepa face-to-face In Buddha Akshobhya’s pure realm of Abhirati,
Where Supreme Joy is made manifest, and both women and men proclaim the Dharma!

As Gar Tenzin P’huntsok, you were acknowledged by Tertön Ratna Lingpa
To be none other than Chenrezik himself, and the destined holder of the terma
Known as the Great Compassionate Lord of Secrets (Ratling T’hukje Sangdu).
Upon being handed the sacred terma substances by Rigdzin Tsewang Drakpa,
You exclaimed: “Oh! Guru Padmasambhava had foretold my coming!
His prophecy corresponds with my name… me, and old man!”
May the great accomplishment (Drubchen) of the practice of Red Chenrezik never cease!
May all beings come to know your compassionate embrace and beaming smile!

As Garchen Jangchub Wangpo, you were the lineage holder of the Great Drikung Phowa
Which is famed for being a practice that even lazy practitioners can use at the time of death.
Please bestow your blessing so that we realize the profound path of Phowa!
The moment we die, may we be born in the Blissful Pureland of Dewachen
And meet Buddha Amitabha face-to-face!
By the power of all the buddhas and bodhisatvas of the ten directions,
Bless us that we may fulfill these aspirations without hindrance!

Dharma Protectors Achi Chökyi Drölma and Four-Armed Mahākāla,
By invoking your incalculable power, please grant your blessings!
May the feet of the Precious Garchen, the Sun-like Jewel who illuminates
The Definitive Meaning of the Teachings, remain firm!
May the Excellent Lion of Dharma, whose Activity proclaims the Victor’s teachings
In All Directions, Conquer the Armies of the afflictions and tame the minds of beings!

Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, even if one were to praise the ocean of your activities
Ceaselessly throughout the ten directions and three times (past, present, and future),
This would fall utterly short of extolling all your myriad virtues.
Likewise, the vast and limitless expanse of space
Is unable to contain all your excellent qualities.
Thus I humbly beseech you to forgive me, your student,
For even attempting such a monumental task!

This was composed out of an arising of spontaneous devotion and longing for the root guru on the 80th birthday of Kyabjé Garchen Triptrül Rinpoché in the Fire Monkey Year of the 17th Rabjung (14 April, 2016 C.E.) by the former Nāga and sensitive deer blessed with precious human birth the name Könchok Palzang Jangchub. It was offered and simultaneously interpreted for Rinpoché as part of his Birthday Jubilee at the Drikung Dharma Surya Center that same year, upon which the author received a box of incense as a sign of appreciation. It was amended and embellished on his 81st birthday in the Fire Bird Year (14 April, 2017).

Direct quotes from the long-life prayer for Garchen Rinpoché composed by the 37th Drikung Kyabgön Trinley Lhundrup (a.k.a. the 7th Chetsang Rinpoche), as well as verses #6 & 27 of the Thirty Seven Bodhisatva Practices are found in italics at the beginning of this prayer. Inspiration and indirect quotes were also drawn from various prayers and practice texts, specifically the Drikung Phowa sadhana’s Golden Lineage Prayer and the Brief Prayer to be Born in Sukhavati found here at the end, just prior to the invocation of the Dharma Protectors.

After copies of this prayer were requested by disciples, during a private audience Garchen Rinpoché granted his kind permission for this to be distributed and used in practice by anyone who wishes to do so, an outpouring of his great compassion.
This shapten (“request to remain”), in the combined form of a namt’har söldep (“biographical supplication”) and mönlam (“aspiration prayer”), is dedicated to enhancing the longevity of the 8th Garchen Rinpoché, and is offered freely by Lion’s Roar Translations to all those who wish to dedicate their roots of virtue accordingly.

May any and all errors, completely the author’s own fault, be purified by Ārya Tārā and Vajrasatva!

"The Sutras, Tantras, and Philosophical Scriptures are great in number. However life is short, and intelligence is limited, so it's hard to cover them completely. You may know a lot, but if you don't put it into practice, it's like dying of thirst on the shore of a great lake. Likewise, a common corpse is found in the bed of a great scholar." ~ Karma Chagme